Apricot 



(63) 



Apricot 



Duchess of Olden- Lord Grosvenor. Stirling Castle. 

 Imrg. Lane's Prince Scarlet Nonpareil. 



Eckliurillc Seed- Albert. Worcester Pear- 



ling. Peasgood'sNoue- main. 



such. 

 Six Giiod Varieties for Heavy Soil. 



Bnnulcy's Seed- King of the Stunner Pippin, 

 ling. " Pippins. Wellington. 



Duchess of Olden- Newton. Wonder, 

 burg. 



APRICOT. 



Description. A highly prized stone fruit (ortl. 

 Rosaceai), grown chiefly on walls and in orchard 

 houses. Apricots are much affected by soil and 

 climatic conditions, succeeding well in some dis- 

 tricts, chiefly in the South of England, but diffi- 

 cult to grow in other parts. 



Propagation. From seeds and by budding, the 

 latter being the better method. Seeds may be sown 

 in August and September outdoors in light soil, and 

 covered 2" deep. Lift and transplant at the end of 

 the first year. Seedling Apricots make good stocks 

 on which to bud other varieties. Other stocks are 

 the Mussel and St. Julien Plum. Budding should 

 be done in June (nee Budding). 



Soil. Deep, fertile loam is the best, and it is 

 important that the drainage should be good. 

 Apricots like lime, and where the soil is not well 

 supplied with it chalk and old plaster should bo 

 dug in before planting. This is better than 

 making borders very rich with manure. 



Aspect. Southern and western aspects are the 

 best, and low situations should be avoided, as the 

 blossoms are liable to be affected by frost. The 

 trees should be protected while in bloom with 

 fish netting suspended over them. It is a mistake 

 to plant on aspects exposed to cold winds. 



Planting. When selecting trees avoid any on 

 which a gummy exudation is observed on the 

 stem. Trained trees of three years' growth are 

 the most suitable. Early in November is the best 

 time for planting. Prepare wide stations, spread 

 the roots out, and cover with 3" or 4" of soil. 

 Training. The foundation of wall trees having 

 been laid when they were planted, the training 

 consists of laving in leading shoots for extension, 

 and side growths where there is room for them 

 between the main branches. 



Pruning. Summer pruning consists of going 

 over the trees in May or June, laying in growths 

 of moderate strength to form permanent shoots 

 where necessary, and pinching back the remaining 

 .-i'le growths to three or four leaves to form spurs. 

 \Vln-n these shoots break they should be pinched 

 back later to two leaves. If summer pinching is 

 properly carried out, not much knife work is neces- 

 sary in the winter. It consists of removing naked 

 branches where younger and better growths can 

 bn laid in, and cutting back "foreright" shoots, or 

 tlio-i- which stand out from the front of the 

 branches, to within a couple of buds from the 

 base. Retain short, lateral spurs, as they produce 

 hlniim buds at the base. Lay in leading shoots 

 for extension, but if these are vigorous, shorten 

 them back by one-third their length to encourage 

 I In- lower buds to break. 



Other Cultural Points. The great trouble with 

 Apricots, particularly the well-known varietv Moor- 

 park, is caused hy branches dying off suddenly, 

 completely spoiling fine specimens that have taken 

 years 10 grow. Sufficient growth should be laid in 

 to fill up gaps when branches die away. Gumming 

 is a serious trouble, and may often be traced to 



bad unions with the stock and abrasions in the 

 bark. There is no remedy beyond the removal of 

 badly gummed branches. When trees are bearing, 

 mulchings of manure are beneficial, and applica- 

 tions of liquid manure assist the fruits to swell. 

 Overcropping is a great strain on the energies of 

 the trees, and should be avoided. Thin out the 

 fruits early in June to 4" or 6" apart ; the trees 

 are benefited, and the size of the individual fruits 

 is increased. Allow the fruit to hang on the trees 

 till quite ripe before gathering. 



Enemies : 



.\l>kitlcs. For remedies, see APHIDES. 



Eartviys. This pest commits its ravages at 

 night, and may be caught by setting traps of in- 

 verted flower pots filled with dry hay near the trees. 



flies and Wasps. Ripe fruits suffer through 

 the attacks of these foes. Close netting sus- 

 pended in front of the trees keeps them off, and in 

 the case of the latter, nests should be searched for 

 and destroyed. 



M'ildeic. Trees frequently suffer from this 



SUMMER PRUNING APRICOTS. 



E Central growths of pyramid : , leading shoot or 

 continuation of stem ; /, point of first stopping, at 

 1' of growth or thereabouts ; >, second growth from 

 leader pinched at third leaf; *, third stopped 

 growth ; /.continuation growth ; m, laterals pinched 

 to one leaf as made ; n, side shoots to form branches 

 stopped at about 15" of growth ; and laterals and 

 sub-laterals to one leaf as formed. 



fungus when there is an excess of moisture at the 

 roots. Draining the border, and mixing lime 

 rubble with the soil, are good preventives, and 

 dusting the affected leaves with flowers of sulphur 

 is an excellent cure. 



A Selection of Varieties. 



The following is a selection in order of ripening: 

 Onllin's Early Hemskirk. Grosse Pche. 



Peach. Moor Park. Powell's Late. 



Large Early. St. Ambroisc. 

 Breda. Royal. 



The first four are early varieties, the next three 

 mid-season, and the other two late. 



